European Regional Conference

Onshore winds, no swell and 10 degree temperatures are not what one expects in South West France entering summer. Even more if you are driving 17 hours from Germany for the 7th European CS Conference. However for Jonas and four other Germans coming from the river wave of Munich, they were stoked to meet Christian Surfers and get some inspiration for surf mission. 

Phil Williams did a great job gathering 35 surfers from six nations to worship, share, learn and be refreshed for mission to their nations. Special thanks to our French host the gentle giant with an overflowing household of kids - Christophe Parenty.

We heard from Joseba about the media opportunities he has to break down Christian stereotypes amongst the unreached Basque people and set up a surf culture exchange with the Irish. There was Nuno from Portugal entering surf chaplaincy. Kock and Jaap continuing to impact the Dutch Surf Association and supporting CS Brazil with a SUP paddle fundraiser event held on the Rhine River! Marc and the Spaniards are growing into a national movement after their 2nd National Conference. Andreas from Switzerland reported on more outreach surf camps being organised. The video on the UK Jesus Surf Classic revealed the long term impact of 20 years of ministry. Mark shared the huge challenges of doing surf mission to a North African Islamic nation.

And the rain kept coming. Cold and raining. We went for a surf anyway first day then next day a large windswell poured whitewash over breakwalls and showered all who would play chicken with the sea. We had a small disaster as I put diesel into a petrol car (it did have a diesel glow plug light on the dash!) and we were stranded in Hossegor. Dave Reynard helped me borrow some hose from someone's yard?!? and it became a right of passage for the trip to siphon petrol and cop a mouthful of diesel that would be burped for the rest of the day. 

The theme Phil had set was "don't wait for perfect conditions" and challenged all that after we pray and reflect we then have to move! Gill reinforced this from Psalm 73 and Johnny Hillman gave a great word from 1 Kings and God's call to Gideon to "go with the strength you have" not the strength you don't have. 

As five lively Germans headed out in their yellow VW bus the sun broke through. It had been an inspiring meeting in one of our neediest continents. Surfing has grown yet the church has declined in Europe. 

Gill has joined me child-free for this trip (a very pleasant companion) and we head off to Bristol for the next phase of our Europe trip.

South Africa Visit

South Africa. For most surfers J-Bay springs straight to mind and we were heading there in time. But getting back onto a plane my mind was on the fact that Gill was sitting next to me! (No offense to Aaron who was seated two rows in front of us.) It has been some 12 years since she had travelled on a visit with me, and this our first without children. It seemed like a long date with 2 meals, 3 movies and people waiting on us for the next 12 hours! After 22 hours door to door we finally arrived in Cape Town and down with the Oberholzer's in Noordhoek near our 'home' of Kommetjie, where we lived 3 months back in 1999. We caught up with many old friends, ran a fundraiser for CS Africa Regional Coordinator Roy Harley and did a bit of tourist stuff including a perfect day on Table Mountain. Some friends had passed on in the time since we'd lived there, like Kirk Cotrell - in glory, others had simply moved towns, some had moved countries. Tragically a 21-year-old surfer was taken by a Great White Shark the day we arrived. The CS organisers of the Longboard Classic held a couple days after the incident polled the parents about whether they wanted the event to go ahead and offered to refund any nervous competitors...the same beach was within sight. Great to see Christian Surfers on the beach there in Strand and the Son Surf School powering along as a mission business with Mik at the helm - a perfect CS blend.  

Mark Edwards drove us 8 hours up the coast to J-Bay, with a short surf at Victoria Bay along the way, and increased his speed to 160kph like a horse heading for home, even overtaking a couple of police cars. "They have more important things to worry about than a little speeding." We happily settled in with  Roy Harley and his wonder wife Sharon along with the duracell bunny boy Nathan and quiet, artistic Cailyn. After two days of board meetings, we didn't even get to do our preferred 'board' meeting as J-Bay was flat. The Second Session Op Shop was pumping 6' offshore in its new premises. Gotta love that South African entrepreneurism as local people get cheap clothes and the CS national office has its costs covered.   

The National Conference had a mixed bag of 85 surfers and skaters, white and coloured, young and old...just like heaven...well maybe the paddle-skis aren't in heaven....just joking Francois, they have a special place. Like Jesus said '...the last shall be first.' Gill spoke so well about connecting with God in authenticity even in our doubts and despair from Psalm 73 then again on how to be reconnected in failure from Psalm 51. How good is it that Jesus comes from the line of David via his adulturous murderous marriage to Bethsheba, such is the grace of God for those who would sincerely repent. The music rocked and a worship mosh pit (is that an oxymoron?) was braved by only the courageous. A training day followed with 40 receiving the 'Foundations Training' with Gill, Snoek and myself.

It was a clear flight home and again, I was treated to sitting next to Gill for another 12 hour date! Aaron stays on for another two months doing his work there...and scoring great Supertubes...

Africa is a wild perplexing continent. Such beauty, violence, gentleness and poverty. Surfing is for the affluent, but there also exists pockets of local kids all over the continent that Roy and the CS team are wanting to target. They host an Indian Ocean meeting for Reunion, Mauritius and Madagascar next month and a team is heading to Namibia this week.